Apt for me this weekend, as tomorrow the new school year officially starts.

Yes, I have been back in school for the last two days of last week as staff training (and we had a brilliant training session involving Ian Gilbert of Independent Thinking and Rhythmical Mike, a poetry and spoken word artist, who came to talk about his beginnings and rough start to school life – there is so much to think of, I can’t tell you now, it would need another post), but it was finishing preparations for the new year, and tomorrow the children start, making it the real beginning of the year.

Of course, being in Reception makes things a little different for us. Our children don’t start straight away. They are the littlies, 4-5 year-olds who have never been to school before, so we can’t chuck them in at the deep end. There will be many pupils in my class that I already know, as they will have come up from my old nursery class. But there are ar least 12 new children in each of the two classes who haven’t attended our nursery. So, for the first 2 days, we will be doing home visits, going to see the child and family in their homes, and giving them a quick introduction to us and school, in a setting familiar to the child.

Then they start on Wednesday, for half days. We will build up to full time by the third week of term, which is actually quite fast, in comparison to the last few years.

There will be plenty of settling in time, and we have to assess, or baseline the children, so we know their capabilities at the start.

And this is all new for me.

A new set of beginnings. A whole ream of firsts.

My first own class

My first own classroom

My first year where what I do, is chosen, and driven by me more

My first year where the progress of a whole class is on my shoulders entirely

And I have a group of children who are going to tax me, going to try me, possibly will give me headaches and cause tears of frustration, but I also know that my intention is to make sure they are also the source of smiles for me too, and happiness, and tears of joy, as I see them progressing in the year.

What I am saying is there are some children with very specific needs within the class, which will add a whole different dynamic to my days.

Am I ready for the challenge?

Of course I am!

Am I nervous?

You’re damn right I am!

Will I pull this year off?

Who knows, but what I do know is that I will give it my all to try and give these children the best start to their academic life!

And every day is a new start. There will be ups and downs, but I always keep in my head the fact that the next day is another chance to try again.

Like this:

Reposting this in honour of the little bundle who I was waiting for three years ago!

Happy 3rd Birthday to my gorgeous nephew!

… or in other words, waiting…

It’s a great thing, isn’t it? You could be on the edge of your seat, eagerly willing your team to win the game you’re watching on TV, counting the days until that special holiday, nerves jangling, watching your wedding day come nearer… and the countdown to that wondrous day that is oh so close now, Christmas!

Similarly, you may be dreading something, in anticipation of that God-awful dentist appointment… maybe results day is looming! Or waiting for those unwanted visitors to come and go…

Either way, your adrenalin is up!

In precisely this way, I have been in anticipation of something oh so special! Pacing rooms, trying to keep busy.. there’s only so much shopping/laundry/cleaning etc. that I could do, to keep my mind off it! Phone attached to my hand permanently, checking my messages on the minute, sometimes even more!

Oh hurry up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

…and finally! The news we have been waiting for! My brother dearest and my gorgeous sister-in – law have delivered our Christmas present early! I am now a very proud aunt to my first proper nephew!!!!

They are not in the same country as we are so I will have another bout of waiting now, as to when we can see that gorgeous bundle of love, but now my brother dearest can show his skills, learned from our precious Pops, and become the brilliant father that I know he will be!

Like this:

Those that know me, know I’ve always been a bit of a written wordy (is that even a word?!) person. Yes, I love talking, you normally can’t have a quiet room if I’m around, but I absolutely LOVE reading, books for myself, and reading stories to my little monkeys, the wonderful classes I’m in, at school and generally any kid that wants to listen!

There’s that old chestnut, we all have a book in us, and I do believe that is true, but not all of us have the ability to relay that story, and almost as much as I like to read, I enjoy putting pen to paper (or fingertip to keyboard!) to be wordily (see, another Ritu special!) creative. Ever since I was small I’ve loved to write. In fact the first poem I remember writing was back at school in Lower 2 (year 5 nowadays) and though it was simple, I was extremely impressed with myself! Yes, I still remember it too…

I was sitting in the kitchen,
I had nothing to do,
When my brother came behind me,
And suddenly shouted “Boo!!!”

I fell off the kitchen stool
And landed with a bump!
I turned around and gave my brother
A big hard thump!

He flew across the kitchen
And started to bawl
And yet he still admitted that
He wasn’t sorry at all!!

I gave him another pinch
And all he did was cry…
He said he was sorry
But I’m sure it was a lie….

I went on to write short stories and won a few small awards in school writing competitions, which boosted my confidence. Great! So I must be able to write! Then life took over, GCSE’s, A-Levels, University life (academic and social!) and finally marriage. One day, around 10 or 11 years ago, I thought, no, this wrong,I should try and do something with all,these literary ideas whirring around in my head, and my darling other half bought me a laptop so I could get creative, and I did… 15,000 words and a few months later, I had the first few chapters of a chick lit type book, then trying for a family kicked in! So, guess what took a total back seat? Yup, said book.

Children… My wonderful children, the next inspirations I had. I would read them all sorts of books, and thought “Well I haven’t time to write a long saga, maybe children’s literature instead?” So I did just that and I managed to write something I’m so proud of, I even got to the stage of thinking of next steps with regards to publishing… But illustrations caught me short…

Cue another few years going by. I went from qualifying as a teacher, to working in banks, retail and a marketing company, then came full circle to school again. Here, some of my wonderful colleagues really encouraged me with regards to story telling, and I got to mentioning that I’d tried to write. I got a chance to read what I’d written to my then class, and I appeared to have great feedback! So I started on a couple more ideas… Then life got in the way … again…

So, 3 years later, the writing bug has bitten me again, in the form of this blog, and I have decided that, yes, I MUST get back into my writing, blogs and fiction. In fact another colleague just said yesterday, that I should bring in something I’d written to read to the new class…

Now this is where you come in…. Please encourage me!
Even if nothing came of it, I’d like to think I actually finished my book, and the children’s stories I started, all those years ago. And if it does happen, I see my name on the front cover of a book, I can thank you all for giving me the ‘thump’ I needed ( like in my early poem!) to get me going again!